Member of Parliament for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon, stated that the Sydney-Newcastle fast rail project had reached a crucial turning point with the start of a two-year development phase.
The ambitious project worth a total of about 90 billion Australian dollars aims to cut Newcastle-Sydney travel times to just one hour and Gosford-Sydney to 30 minutes.
The Federal Government has increased its funding commitment to $659.6 million, with a target of starting groundbreaking physical construction as early as 2028.
Despite facing huge cost challenges, Transport Minister Catherine King stressed that the project was a long-term investment predicted to save 250 billion dollars in the next 50 years through the development of regional areas.
As well as facilitating the mobility of residents to live outside the city centre, the line is also the first step for a high-speed rail network along the east coast that will link Brisbane to Melbourne.
Despite public scepticism about the size of the budget, the government is optimistic that the project will provide a significant economic boost and a solution to the housing crisis.
Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3pm.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and don't miss our podcasts.
